1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to fluid pumps. It more particularly relates to a highly efficient durable fluid pump and method for a variety of applications, including, but not limited to a desalination system and method.
2. Background Art
There is no admission that the background art disclosed in this section legally constitutes prior art.
There have been a variety of pumping systems employing various components and valves, used for many different applications such as reverse osmosis (RO) pumping systems, hydraulic fluid pumping systems and many others. For example, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,825,122; 4,145,844; 5,109,814 and 6,017,200.
Typical positive displacement pumps may have problems for certain applications associated with pulsating flow, violent valve action, noise, and vibration. All of the above problems may result in inconsistent flow rates, which in turn, may reduce the efficiency and durability of the pumps and their associated equipment.
Pumping systems may also be used to provide an input stream of fluid to be purified through a membrane or filter, such as a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, at high pressure. A stream of brine or other unpurified material is then discharged under pressure from such membrane or filter. Such systems may recover energy from the discharge stream, while it is still under pressure and use the recovered energy to assist the operation of the pump to help improve the efficiency of the operation.